The high price of owning too much stuff, and what you need to know to shed some of it“.

We Americans live in a materialistic and consumer driven culture. Like its part of who we are. Its nothing wrong with owning "versatile solutions to modern living" (brad in fight club reference). But sooner or later you find yourself a victim to the realization that you own too much stuff. We are obsessed with stuff.
Stuff costs money, it costs to buy, maintain, store, and even money to sell. Not to mention the mental cost that’s comes with owning too much stuff. You think about it, obsess over it and worry about someone taking it.(Remember the Fight Club: "the things you own end up owning you.") How can you guard against this happening to you?

Ignore your neighbors: The desire to show off our success and peer pressure is a powerful path to clutter. Keeping up with the joneses is what they call it, the need to have what other people have. According to a 2006 survey entitled "

Focus on experience, not things: Experiences are more likely to bring you satisfaction than material goods. All you need are a camera and a computer to post you videos and photos or create a scrap book or a photo journal. Another advantage is that it doesn't take up space in your house. Have you ever tried to travel without heaps of stuff? It had to be a liberating experience, finding out that you could actually thrive without all those thing slowing you down. Travel is a great way to find out what we value and what’s important to have. In closing simplify your homes. Remove unwanted clutter by donating it. And enjoy your new found space. Necessity or Luxury" by the Pew Research Center, 33% of Americans now view cable or satellite TV as a necessity. In 1996 that number was 17%. Also, 51% now can't live without a home computer, up from 26% in '96. Make sure to buy what you need, what you will use and if you can buy things that have more than one use like a futon.

Emphasize on quality: In the past being frugal was celebrated and deemed a necessity to produce financial longevity. However always buying the cheapest option is not always a good thing in the long run because we all know that cheap =easy to break. That’s why I have learned that buying one excellent, expensive, item over several cheap ones is more practical in the long run, and it keeps clutter from taking over.

Borrow and lend: If your neighbor owns a bike pump or a gas can why do you need to own one, too? You can borrow it from them within reason and it also helps you form a relationship with them. When you borrow and lend among friends and family each own less.